TERRORISM: We must move on from the bad old days

A vote for Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein is a vote for more unemployment, a reduction in economic activity and a further pay cut for public service.

Their economic proposals that will tax enterprise are unworkable and inappropriate in the context of Ireland's participation with the International Monetary Fund.

isolated

We have no choice but to seek help from our neighbours in Europe and not remain isolated as advocated by the Sinn Fein leader.

A vote for Mr Adams in particular is a mandate to remind all of us about the economic terrorism that he and his organisation perpetrated on the people of Louth during the unacceptable violent periods of the 1970s and 1980s.

We need only ask the families of the late Tom Oliver and Jean McConville about the destruction of their lives and that of their families during that period for which many questions remain unanswered.

The people of Louth want to move on from the bad old days of the past for which Mr Adams was a willing participant.

This is not a time to send the wrong political signals.

We should not experiment with more economic terrorism, Sinn Fein-style.

Instead we should promote enterprise in every possible way to help the unemployed to get jobs once again and to help hardworking families make ends meet.

Phil Hogan is Fine Gael TD for Carlow-Kilkenny and the party's director of elections